Sanitation Lead

UNC Dairy • City of Syracuse, NY

9d • $25 - $35 • Onsite

About The Position

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a dairy cooperative owned by over 200 local family farms, is seeking a Sanitation Lead. This role provides leadership and oversight to the Sanitation Team, including janitorial personnel and Pumps/Valves Sanitation Mechanics, across assigned shifts. The position ensures the effective execution of sanitation programs, coordination of preventive maintenance, and compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements in production, warehouse, and exterior facility areas. The Sanitation Lead is responsible for supporting a safe, clean, and audit-ready environment, ensuring sanitation activities meet established standards and operational needs. This role functions as a working supervisor and may directly assist with sanitation tasks as needed.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in sanitation, maintenance, manufacturing, or food production required.
• Previous leadership experience, including lead, senior technician, or other progressively responsible roles, may be considered in lieu of formal supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated leadership capability and ability to guide team performance.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Problem-solving ability with appropriate support and escalation when needed.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and compliance standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in food manufacturing or regulated production environments preferred.
• Familiarity with preventive maintenance systems (e.g., TabWare or similar platforms) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to Sanitation Team members, including janitorial staff and Pumps/Valves Sanitation Mechanics.
• Support onboarding, training, and ongoing development of team members.
• Monitor performance and address issues in alignment with company policies.
• Assist in workforce planning and scheduling to ensure adequate coverage across all shifts.
• Conduct routine follow-up and verification of completed sanitation and maintenance-related tasks.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Assist in the scheduling and coordination of preventive maintenance activities for pumps and valves.
• Partner with Production and Quality teams to coordinate equipment downtime for removal, sanitation, repair, rebuilding, and reinstallation activities.
• Ensure sanitation and maintenance activities are performed in accordance with applicable procedures, regulatory standards, and internal expectations.
• Support documentation accuracy and completion for all related maintenance and sanitation activities.
• Monitor completion and effectiveness of preventive maintenance and sanitation programs.
• Oversee sanitation operations across production areas, warehouse facilities, and exterior/good neighbor areas.
• Ensure sanitation schedules are executed consistently across all shifts.
• Monitor cleanliness, sanitation effectiveness, and compliance with food safety expectations.
• Identify and address sanitation deficiencies and support corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to sanitation practices and operational efficiency.
• Support readiness and execution of internal, customer, and regulatory audits involving sanitation and equipment inspection activities.
• Work collaboratively with regulatory auditors during facility and equipment evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards including OSHA, FDA, HACCP, GMP, and company policies.
• Support accurate and timely completion of sanitation and compliance documentation.
• Maintain audit-ready conditions within assigned areas of responsibility.
• Assist in coordinating daily sanitation and maintenance-related activities with Production, Quality, and Maintenance departments.
• Communicate operational issues, sanitation concerns, and equipment status updates to appropriate stakeholders.
• Support alignment of sanitation activities with production schedules to minimize operational disruption.
• Promote and enforce adherence to all safety policies, procedures, and PPE requirements.
• Support maintenance of a clean, safe, and organized work environment.
• Report safety hazards, equipment issues, and sanitation concerns in a timely manner.
• Support safe handling and use of sanitation chemicals and equipment.

Benefits

• group health and/or dental insurance
• retirement plan
• wellness program
• paid time away from work
• paid holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED